Family doctors continue strike

The Latvian Association of Family Doctors will not sign an agreement that would end the ongoing strike of family doctors (or GPs) as it doesn't, they say, meet their core demands, as reported LSM.

As the association received an offer from the government there were hopes that a deal would be struck to end the strike action quickly.

However Sarmīte Veide, the head of the GPs association told Latvian Radio on July 7 that the protest will continue as the government has not met their demands as concerns funding.

One of the family doctors’ demands is to raise the capitation pay (the amount doctors are paid per patient they have registered) by 30%, while the Health Ministry is only offering to increase the medics’ salaries with capitation money included.

"Increasing the capitation pay is important so we can sustain our practices and help our patients," Veide told Latvian Radio.

Other demands increase 30% pay rises for nursing assistants for the next three years and a commitment not to force doctors to use the government's troubled e-health system until its utility has been put to the test.